And So It Goes On
by HowObjectionable
Summary: Sequel to 'Just another day'. Basically, it's time to find out exactly what happened to Cat and why it did. I suck at summaries, but it's better on the inside. Rated 'T' in case. Okay, read on... Oh, and, Chrestomanci isn't mine. I'm not that fantastic.
1. Sense

**I said I wasn't finished 'Just Another Day…' but the fact of the matter is, I **_**was**_

**So here's a sequel, but I really would like it if there was more than one reviewer this time…**

**Chapter 1**

Three weeks ago, Eric Chant had just regained his memory. (Again)

Three weeks ago, Christopher Chant was saved from the brink of death (twice over).

Three weeks ago, Janet Chant realised she might like Rodger a little more than she thought (No, she _didn't_…Well, that's what she keeps telling herself)

And three weeks ago, Conrad Tesdinic had stated that he really must be getting back to Series Seven soon.

Now, three weeks later, he was sitting at the table in Chrestomanci Castle, talking to Millie, and wondering exactly why he was still in world Twelve A.

----

"Alright, Cat." Chrestomanci said when breakfast was over. "I think it's time we talked about what happened to you. You have had long enough to recover, don't you think?"

Cat couldn't help but think that Chrestomanci was being slightly hypocritical here. He was the one that had insisted that Cat (And himself) had time to, as he put it, recover. Nevertheless, Cat nodded and followed him. Instantly, Julia, Janet and Rodger stood too.

Chrestomanci looked at them all vaguely. "Must you insist on following Cat around?" he asked.

The three children who were not nine-lived enchanters looked at each other for a second, before turning back to Chrestomanci.

"Yes." Julia replied for them.

"Oh, go on, Christopher, what harm can it do?" Conrad asked. "Eric would tell them anyway."

"Oh, very well." Chrestomanci replied, and he, Conrad and Cat made their way up to his study followed by three rather smug looking young Chants.

-------

When everyone was sitting down (and it was a rather tight fit), Chrestomanci turned his vague stare, once again, to Cat. "Well?" he said.

Julia snorted. He father was so good at interacting with children.

"Would you like me to start from the alleyway?" Cat asked.

"If it isn't too much trouble." Chrestomanci agreed.

"Alright. Well, the others were discussing exactly why Conrad was here and I decided to go and look in one of the shops. There was an old witch inside, I don't know how old exactly, she didn't have any teeth. She called me over. And, needless to say, I was curious how she knew my name."

"She knew your name?" Chrestomanci repeated.

"Yes, Eric, of course, not Cat. Anyway, I went over to her, and she offered me a drink. Now, I told her I wasn't thirsty and decided to go back outside. But suddenly, I found myself so thirsty I could die. I knew, of course, that it was a spell, but before I could do anything about it, she grabbed my arm – my _left_ arm, before you say anything." Cat added, rather annoyed at the expression on his guardian's face. "Anyway, I was forced to drink the…liquid, whatever it was, and then she let go of me. I walked out of the shop and then…well, I had no idea where I was. It certainly was not the alley, I knew that. But I could hear voices, calling on me, and at the time I had no idea who they were… I see now, of course, that it was these three." he said, glancing at Janet, Julia and Rodger. "But I had no possible way of knowing that at the time. I remember thinking about how cold it was and ho nice it would be to be back up at the Castle…and then wondering exactly what Castle."

"This new alleyway…what did it look like?" Conrad interrupted.

"It was old…in a state of disrepair." Cat replied, wondering why this was important. "And abandoned."

Conrad nodded.

"Do go on." Chrestomanci said.

"Yes, well, the witch appeared a while later and she took me to a man, who took one look at me and said I would be perfect. I had no idea for what, but a few minutes later I was certain this man was my father. He took me to his home, through an archway. He used dragon's blood; I think we went to another world."

"Yes, we know that part. Continue." Chrestomanci said.

"Well, I was there in my head for a lot longer than I was in reality. I was his son, he was my father, and everyday he'd have me touch a signature with my left hand and say something…I can't remember what."

"Who's signature?" Rodger asked from the corner, but he had a feeling he already knew.

"It was signed 'Chrestomanci." Cat said guiltily. "He told me he was a…an evil enchanter…"

"You foolish child!" Chrestomanci suddenly shouted, startling everyone. "Have you any idea-"

Cat looked rather annoyed by this, but Janet and Julia both stood up angrily.

"You have no right to shout at Cat like that, daddy! He saved your life, and that wasn't the first time, remember!" Julia burst.

"Yes, and I'm sorry if I'm wrong, but I hardly believe you never did anything wrong with your magic when you were Cat's age, even by mistake!" Janet snapped.

Then she blushed and sat down, and Julia followed suit. That probably wasn't a good idea shouting at him like that.

But Chrestomanci was looking at them, hard, and his mind was a million miles away, with Millie when he first met her, with Throgmorten…and with a certain Uncle Ralph. "You are quite right, I do apologise, Cat." Chrestomanci said, lowering his voice, and surprising everyone even more than when he'd shouted. "Why don't you four go and play for now? I think we've had enough for one morning."

All four children looked bewildered, but nodded and filed out. Just before they did so, however, Janet caught Conrad staring at her and Julia. "What?" she demanded.

"Well, I've never seen anyone except me make him see sense before." Conrad said, his lips twitching into a smirk.

Janet and Julia grinned at each other and followed the boys.

Chrestomanci turned to Conrad, who was looking at him with an amused expression and asked one thing.

"Have you got your camera with you?"

**Reviews?**


	2. Photographs

**Chapter Two…written way earlier in the morning than should be allowed…anyways, enjoy…**

**I want three (3) reviews before Chapter 3.**

**Chapter two**

"That was rather brave of you two." Rodger said as they walked to the playroom. "Standing up to Dad like that, I mean."

"Yes, well, we did what we had to." Janet replied. "Cat, did you say that they were using his signature?"

Cat nodded, concealing a smirk at her quite obvious change of attention. "Yes."

"Yet Chre-Christopher said that he'd taught you how to protect you're signature, so his own should be protected too, right?"

"Right." Cat agreed. "With the seal of a nine lived enchanter. The only thing is-"

"Cat is a nine lived enchanter too." Julia finished. "Whatever do you think they were trying to do, besides convince Cat that daddy was an evil enchanter?"

"I wish I could remember." Cat replied ruefully.

"Well, let's go then." Rodger said.

"Go?"

"Dad and Conrad will be going somewhere, won't they? Well, we might as well follow."

Cat sighed. "Fine. But I'll cast the protection spells. And the invisibility too."

"Yes sir, oh great Chrestomanci to be." Rodger performed a mock bow.

"And we'll have to stand rather close." Cat added. "Holding hands, preferably. Not all of us together, in pairs. It'll be easier for me."

And with that, Julia and Cat immediately gripped hands. Janet gave Cat a death glare, to which he replied with an innocent smile. Rodger took Janet's hand awkwardly, and nether of the two looked at each other. Cat and Julia could barely keep in their grins as they turned invisible.

-----

The witch at the entrance of the alley looked stunned as the rather plain looking man entered. It was not, of course, Conrad that surprised her. It was his companion.

"'E's flippin' alive…" Conrad heard her mutter.

"What was that?" Chrestomanci asked cheerfully.

"Nuffin, sir. Just an ol' gal muttering to'erself. Now, what can I do fir yeh?" the witch asked, hands shaking slightly.

"Nothing terrifying, I assure you. My associate here just wants to take a few photographs of your charming little street."

"Photographs?" Julia hissed, invisible, from behind them

"There is no need to whisper, you know. I have cast a rather strong spell of silence." Cat sounded rather smug. "But I have about as much idea as you as to why he would need to take pictures."

"I'll whisper, if it's all the same to you." Julia replied.

Meanwhile, Conrad was, as mentioned, taking a few photographs of the alleyway. "That's all." he said. "Thank you very much."

The witch nodded, looking rather terrified.

Chrestomanci and Conrad began to walk away.

"Oh, and Cat, getting too cocky tends to limit your magic, especially if you have the unfortunate tendency to brag." Chrestomanci called backwards, and then glanced at the spot on the ground, moving his hand around a little. The witch looked even more terrified when four rather guilty looking children appeared out of nowhere.

"I was not cocky." Cat said defensively, while the other children giggled nervously and Conrad laughed outright.

"Take it from someone who knows." Chrestomanci replied, smiling at him.

Oh good, they weren't in trouble.

The witch looked ready to faint when Cat spoke. She turned and walked away.

"That evil old cow." Janet muttered.

Chrestomanci turned to face her, a politely bewildered expression on his face.

"I…err…I'll explain on the way back to the Castle, shall I?" Janet asked nervously. "And we…we won't get punished for being here, will we?"

"You aren't in trouble this time." Chrestomanci said, much to the relief of all four. "However, I'd like you all to remember the meaning of the word 'forbidden' please. It is rather irritating to make rules only to have them broken repeatedly."

"Sorry, Daddy." Julia muttered, all sweet like.

"Now, Janet, what were you saying about that charming old woman?" Conrad asked about ten minutes later as Chrestomanci zoned off into another world (no, not literally) while they walked up to the Castle. Janet explained her two rather unpleasant meetings with the witch in the past, and Conrad nodded.

"Alright." he said as they neared the Castle. "Now, neither Christopher nor I can see much point in sending you to the playroom, as you'll probably attempt following us again."

"We will, however, suggest it strongly." Chrestomanci said pleasantly.

"One thing first. What did you say that first day you were here?" Cat demanded of Conrad.

Conrad looked at Chrestomanci, who gave him a bored and vague look which he took to mean 'Oh, go on then'

"I told Christopher that there was something going on in my world concerning children." Conrad replied frankly. "Did you see any other children while you were in Seven, Eric?"

Cat shook his head.

"Alright. You can go now."

-----

Later, the four children were playing Mirrors and dreading the next day when lessons would restart when Conrad came in followed by Chrestomanci.

"You know, you two really should spend some time apart." Rodger teased. "Mum'll be getting jealous."

Chrestomanci gave him a look, but he looked ready to laugh.

Conrad, the ever so subtle, was already laughing.

"What is it, Daddy?" Julia asked demurely as Cat and Janet both wrestled with the flying mirrors behind the adult's back.

"We need to show something to Cat." Conrad answered, and behind him, Janet sat on both mirrors and gave Cat a look, the look that says "_Some nine lived enchanter you turned out to be!" _which she gave him frequently when his magic didn't work out, which was rather odd for someone who didn't use magic at all.

Cat stuck out his tongue in a rather immature fashion before walking in front of the adults. "What?" he asked.

Conrad held out a photograph, and Julia and Rodger came in closer to see, while Janet tried her best to look over Chrestomanci's shoulder (It was ridiculous – no one had the right to be so tall _and_ handsome) to where Conrad was holding out the picture.

"It's the alley!" Julia said. "But what's that in the background?"

"It's the alley." Cat said in an odd voice.

Chrestomanci and Christopher exchanged a look.

"Thank you, Cat, that's all we needed to know." Chrestomanci said, and with that the two older ones left.

The young Chants looked at each other. They pondered this strange thing for a while, until Mary brought lunch, and they ate a lot and made themselves dizzy, and not a little sick, by playing air-skating with the mirrors, and the photograph sufficiently vanished from their minds.

**Three reviews aren't too many. Besides, I'm pretty sure my good sta…friend Flavius will supply the first two. I already have one. Okay, I'll stop rambling now. Review…**


	3. French

**Really only a sort of filler chapter…**

**Chapter 3**

It was Sunday, and as customary, the Family were eating dinner together around the table. Michael was going on about something or the other, and Bernard was still muttering about stocks and shares, both of which annoyed Cat rather.

"When I am the next Chrestomanci" he said loudly. "I shall forbid everyone from talking about their work at the table. Ever."

Chrestomanci seemed to find this incredibly amusing. "Is that so, Cat?"

"Yes, it is." Cat decided firmly.

Julia grinned. "You'll never get Bernard to stop with stocks and shares, Cat."

"Ah, but he might when he's taken over the post." Conrad supplied. "Chrestomanci is a rather powerful magician."

Chrestomanci and Cat both looked incredibly irritated by this. "Piffle! Magicians? How dare you!"

The others all burst into laughter. Even Bernard.

----------

"Tell me about your photographs." Cat asked Conrad later that day. "However did you get a picture of that place?"

Conrad replied "It's my magic. I can take pictures of other probabilities, and-"

"Probabilities?" Janet interrupted. (Yes, they were still following Cat around)

Conrad explained.

"But isn't that what makes other worlds?" Janet enquired.

"Not minor changes." Conrad replied.

"Oh."

"So I was in another…another probability?" Cat asked, confused.

"It appears so." Conrad agreed. "Christopher doesn't really get it either." he added, in way of comfort. "But don't tell him that."

"Dad doesn't get it?" Rodger asked gleefully.

"Don't you dare, Rodger." Conrad warned his godson.

"Oh, alright." Rodger replied. None of them really believed him.

"Anyway, you four best be getting to bed. Millie will kill me if you're late for classes tomorrow." Conrad said. "And I must be getting-"

"Back to Dad?" Rodger suggested, and the four children cracked up laughing and headed to their individual bedrooms.

-------

Lessons the next day were boring as ever. All four children were in Michael Saunders' room."

"Tell me how you say 'The enchanter is very powerful', Janet." Michael asked.

"L'enchanteur aime le fromage" Janet tried. She wasn't good at French.

"Yes, I am rather partial to cheese." Chrestomanci agreed, entering the room. Julia and Cat stifled giggles, but Rodger tried his best to keep a straight face.

"Is it time for Cat's lesson already?" Michael looked up in surprise.

"No, but I have come to ask him something. Is it inconvienent?"

"Not at all." Michael said, and Cat got up. Julia half stood to follow, but Michael told her to sit back down and get on with her French.

---

"Cat, I really must urge you to tell me a bit more about this man you thought was your father." Chrestomanci sounded rather urgent, and Cat was quite startled.

"Um…he was an older man…" Cat replied. "Quite old, about as old as my grandfather on my father's side. Of course, that didn't bother me at the time, but…"

"As old as my Uncle Conrad?" Chrestomanci frowned. This was obviously not good news.

"Well, around that age, yes." Cat agreed.

Chrestomanci sighed. "Thank you Cat. Oh, and I must be away, so no magic lessons today. You may sit in with Julia and Rodger, or go with Janet. Vous pouvez retourner à la classe maintenant."

Cat nodded, evidently confused. He did as he was bid, and went back into class.

"What was that all about?" Rodger muttered as he sat down. He had obviously been listening through the wall using magic.

"Je n'ai aucune idée" Cat replied.

"**L'enchanteur aime le fromage" "The enchanter likes cheese"**

"**Vous pouvez retourner à la classe maintenant" "You may go back to class now"**

"**Je n'ai aucune idée" "I have no idea"**


	4. Bells

**Alas, I didn't update yesterday. It's the first day since I started writing 'Just another Day' that I haven't posted a chapter, so you'll have to forgive me. Incidentally, I don't actually have any of the chapters written beforehand, or even a plan – it's made up as I go along. Not a good idea. So, with my sincerest apologies for the delay, I think I'd rather like to rake up Christopher's past now…well, a little.**

**Chapter 4**

"Alright, Rodger, Julia, time to practise some magic." Michael said, and Janet and Cat both took this as a signal to leave.

Janet was rather surprised when Cat followed her down the stairs. "Aren't you going to see Chrestomanci?" she asked.

"No, he's going somewhere, and I don't have magic lessons today, for which I am very thankful." Cat replied.

"I thought you liked magic lessons?"

"Yes, but Chrestomanci is obsessed with Magical Theory right now." Cat sounded rather disappointed about this. "It's such a shame; I wanted him to tell me more about the traditions and structures of the other Series."

"That does sound interesting." Janet said as they walked out onto the grounds. "I do wish we could visit them…"

"Me too." Cat agreed. "Series Ten in particular. It sounds marvellous and also rather scary. They have this Goddess there, in one of the worlds, and she's always represented by a little girl – I asked Chrestomanci what happens when she grows up, but he went all vague and started talking about the climate."

"What's the Goddesses name?" Janet asked, sounding interested

"He wouldn't tell me that either." Cat answered, sounding rather disappointed.

They walked in silence for a while.

"Fancy going to the garden?" Janet asked.

Cat looked at her with a sort of horror on his face. "Don't you remember what happened last time?"

"Yes, but those horrible men had it all planned then. And don't you agree that the garden was beautiful?"

Cat had to agree. "Alright then, but not for long." he said, resignedly.

And so they went, remembering exactly how you had to walk to get there, and arriving in record time. A mewing cat was there to greet them, and it jumped into Janet's arms enthusiastically.

"Yes, yes, I love you too, Fiddle." Janet laughed, putting the cat back down. It followed as she and Cat walked.

"We would be in so much trouble if Chr…istopher knew we were here." Cat noted, remembering just in time that using Christopher Chant's title when you didn't want him to find you was not such a good idea.

"Oh yes, you are in trouble." A voice said from nearby.

Janet and Cat whirled around guiltily, each ready to blame the other.

But Chrestomanci was smiling at them both. "You know, you two really need to learn what rules are." he continued.

"What's the Goddess of that world in Series Ten called?" Janet asked, randomly grasping at the first subject that came into her head to distract Chrestomanci.

Chrestomanci certainly looked surprised at this. He gave them both a swift, searching look, before settling on what to reply. "Why?"

"Because Cat and I, we're really interested in other worlds. Me especially, coming from one." Janet said. "Is that where you're going? Can we come?"

Both children expected him to laugh and tell them to go back to the Castle. However, what they did not expect was for him to give them both another look then reply. "Could I trust you to be careful and do as I say?"

Cat and Janet looked at each other, stunned. "Oh yes!" they both replied in unison.

"Then I don't see why not. Come along."

Hardly daring to believe it, the two children followed.

-------

Then, a horrible smell of dragon's blood later, they were in a place far warmer and more exotic than Britain (Not that that's much of a challenge…there aren't many places that are not warmer, eh? Especially for us Twelve B'ers. But back to the story.).

"Is this Series Ten?" Cat asked.

Chrestomanci nodded. "I must go into one of these temples. Stay close."

But then, quite suddenly, they were almost ripped to pieces by a parade. There was a little girl sitting on a high seat and people were running after her, trying to touch her. She didn't look very happy. Janet started after the parade, spellbound.

"Janet!" Cat ran after her.

Chrestomanci pulled them both backwards. "No. That poor girl doesn't need you following her too." Then he muttered to himself "We _would_ come on Festival Day…"

"Who was she? Some sort of Princess?" Janet asked.

Chrestomanci shook his head, but said no more.

Cat and Janet both looked incredibly confused as they followed him through the winding streets.

Presently, Janet noticed something else that piqued her interest. Just down the street was a man standing under a yellow umbrella. In this heat! She looked at Cat, who was staring at the man as well. They glanced at each other, and then at Chrestomanci, who, despite the vague look on his face, was striding purposely ahead. They slowly edged away down the small street, curious about this man.

"Hello, children." he said in a cheerful but foreign accent that Cat and Janet had heard before, but neither was sure where. "Care for a bell?"

"Oh, they are beautiful." Janet said. "But I'm afraid we don't have any money!"

"A gift, then." The man said jovially, and pressed a set of bells into each of their hands.

Janet and Cat looked ready to protest, but he looked away. So, Janet looked at Cat, who shrugged and they started to try to find Chrestomanci. Luckily, no one in the area was quite as tall…or as handsome…or as elegantly dressed as the man walking towards them, looking most irritated. "I thought I asked you to say with me" Chrestomanci sounded very annoyed.

Cat looked rather guilty, but Janet said "Yes, but the man under the umbrella wanted to give us these." She showed him the bells, tinkling them experimentally, and was delighted to hear that the tune changed depending on the order you touched them.

The look on Chrestomanci's face went vaguer than ever, and then he smiled. "Alright, come on."

They couldn't believe it. They'd got away from trouble _again. _

They followed Chrestomanci, playing with the bells, to a temple. It had taken hours to get here, but it looked even more impressive than the rest, so they thought it was worth it. They went inside and Cat and Janet just gaped in awe.

"Stay here." Chrestomanci told them, not sure why he was bothering. "I must go and talk to the Priestesses."

Cat and Janet nodded. Then, as soon as he was gone, they were off to explore.

-------

The two children stumbled into a room, where they found another girl, the girl from the parade maybe, looking rather ill. Despite this, the now teenaged boy that was Cat could not help noticing she was rather pretty.

"Hello. Who are you? You aren't supposed to be here." The girl said in a rather astonished but slightly haughty tone.

"I'm Cat" Cat answered.

"Don't be silly, Taia is a cat. You're a boy!"

"No, his name is Cat. My name is Janet." Janet explained.

"Why are you here? Who are you?" the girl demanded again. After all, their names weren't exactly an answer to this.

"Who are you?" Cat replied rudely.

"Why, I'm the Goddess of course." She sounded rather surprised.

**There ya have it. Now, a question. Do any of you have a Gaia online account? If so, my account name is Siriusly Smart. PM me! If not, then…well…thanks for reading so far anyway.**

**Review, or Asheth will send her Army to get you.**


	5. Theory

**Chapter five, people. Poor Cat's got a little crush!**

**Chapter 5**

The children had been talking for well over an hour before Cat heard his name being called. "We need to go" he said to Janet.

"Oh, no, don't go, please, Cat!" the Goddess begged. "It's so boring here, and I haven't talked like this to anyone ever!"

"We have to." Janet replied. "We already should have been in trouble twice today; I don't think we'll get away with it again."

"Oh, but I really want to talk to you some more! I'm so lonely in here, and I've not even showed you the statue of Asheth yet, and…"

Cat and Janet looked at each other. They looked ready to sit back down when Chrestomanci's voice echoed through the temple. "Cat! Janet!"

"I'm sorry." Cat said, really meaning it. "Really I am."

Jane looked at the girl as she sighed and sat down. "Do you like to read?" she asked.

The Goddess looked up. "Oh yes, I love to read, but all the books here are educational." She made a face.

"Well…" Janet opened her bag. "I always carry a book with me. Take it."

"Forever? But will you come back?"

"Cat! Janet, where are you?"

Janet put the book down on the floor, and she and Cat quickly said goodbye and hurried out of the room.

-----

"Where were you?" Chrestomanci demanded as they left the temple.

"Nowhere." said Janet, at the same time as Cat replied "Bathroom!"

Chrestomanci raised an eyebrow. "You didn't even agree on an excuse? Pitiful. Come on, you can tell me when we get back."

They followed, and Cat was wondering if Chrestomanci already knew where they had been.

------

When they arrived back at Chrestomanci Castle, they found Julia out on the lawn, reading with her mother. Conrad was lying on his front on the grass not far away with what looked like a broken camera, and Rodger was sitting beside him, looking quite puzzled.

"Where were you?" Julia demanded, looking up from her book.

"Series Ten." Cat replied promptly. "In the Temple of-"

"How would you know what the temple was called, Cat?" Chrestomanci asked.

Janet was looking at him shrewdly. To Cat, it appeared that Chrestomanci was just asking a question. To Janet, however, it looked like Chrestomanci had cut across Cat deliberately. She also noticed Millie look up from her book stiffly.

"We…we met the Goddess." Cat admitted. There was no point in lying. "She seemed so lonely; we couldn't help talking to her…"

"What's to bet he ends up married to her?" Conrad called over, smirking.

Millie and Chrestomanci both glared at him then. How interesting.

Cat blushed.

Janet said, "What will happen to her when she's older? Only, she said that she was almost a woman, on her next birthday, and that The Living Ashe-"

Millie coughed over her. It sounded rather forced.

"-that she was always a little girl." finished Janet.

Chrestomanci glanced at his wife, who wasn't looking too happy with him.

"Well?" Janet asked. Rodger and Julia had looked up from what they were doing and were listening as well.

"When the Goddess comes of age, she is to be killed." Millie finally spoke after a silence.

And that's when Cat knew where he'd heard the accent of the man under the umbrella before. "She isn't always killed though, is she?" he asked, looking directly into Millie's eyes with a cool expression.

"Hardly ever." Chrestomanci said, drawing Cat's attention towards him again. "The priestesses usually just take a life from one of the cats."

"And then?" Cat demanded.

"And then she lives her life, has children, blah, blah, blah." Conrad said.

"So no travelling to other worlds then?"

"Not often." Millie agreed.

"But not unheard of?" Janet asked, cottoning on.

"No." Millie replied cautiously.

Cat and Janet looked at each other, but said no more on that particular theory. "So she won't die?" Cat asked, needing to be sure.

"That isn't likely." Chrestomanci reassured him. "Not to worry."

Wasn't very likely? Did that mean it was still possible, Cat wondered?

"Will we see her again?" Janet wanted to know.

"That isn't very likely either, I'm afraid." Chrestomanci replied.

Cat and Janet didn't look very happy about that. "Are you sure you couldn't do something?" Cat asked. "The Goddess hates it there! Surely you wouldn't want to leave someone somewhere where they were treated like…like a thing!"

Chrestomanci was back in the past again. He heard Cat speak, and surveyed him closely. Cat stared back at him.

Chrestomanci broke off his stare and turned to Conrad. "What happened to your camera?"

Janet was infuriated at how he'd just changed the subject, but didn't say anything.

"I have no idea." Conrad replied. "Ask Rodger."

All eyes swivelled to Rodger. "Well?" Chrestomanci asked.

"I…Conrad gave me a go of his camera…I put it down on the ground, right over there, just for a minute, and I came back and it was gone. Julia and I looked for it, and we found it in the trash. We can't seem to fix it; none of the spells are working."

"Let me have a look." Chrestomanci insisted.

Rodger brought it over. Chrestomanci opened the back, and a hissing sound followed by steam rushed out.

"He'll have a look at it later." Millie said meaningfully.

"I'll take the children inside, shall I?" Conrad said, and he and the four young ones went inside.

------

In the playroom, Janet and Cat were going on about the Goddess, and Rodger was listening in interest.

"So are we going to rescue your girlfriend from her terrible fate then?" Rodger interrupted Cat.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Cat blushed again.

Janet laughed. "And how do you propose we do that?"

Rodger shrugged. "We'll think about it later."

"These are beautiful." Julia said, not paying attention, playing with the bells.

"They are, aren't they?" Janet agreed.

"Bedtime, children." Mary stuck her head around the door.

"Alright." The children chorused.

They said their goodnights and headed upstairs to their individual bedrooms.

Cat didn't sleep much that night.

**Review?**


	6. Sneak

**Flavius, why the devil did you not review chapter 5? No, seriously, I'm joking. Thanks to the-rainbow-dreamer for reviewing, though!**

**Oh, and thanks to the person whose name escapes me right now who commented on my Gaia.**

**Chapter 6**

"Come on, you lot." Rodger said. "I want to meet this Goddess."

"We are not stealing dragon's blood from Michael's office, Rodger" Julia scolded as they sat and ate breakfast in the playroom.

"But Cat wuna see 'er, dun ya 'at?" Rodger asked through a mouthful of cornflakes.

Fortunately, Cat could pretend not to understand.

"That's disgusting, Rodger." Janet reprimanded.

"'orry" he muttered in reply.

"And Julia's right." Janet continued. "Stealing dragon's blood is a very bad idea. Chrestomanci wouldn't be very happy."

"No, no he wouldn't." said a voice as the door opened. "And Millie wouldn't be particularly pleased either."

"Well, what do you suggest Conrad?" Rodger said irritably.

"I know a quick way to get to Series Ten that doesn't risk your life. But I shouldn't tell you that. Christopher would be incredibly mad." Conrad replied, leaning against the door frame.

"Please?" Cat asked.

"Pretty please?" Julia urged.

"Christopher really wouldn't like it…"

"He's going to tell us." Janet said, grinning. "And the reason he is, is that he likes to annoy your father."

"Right on the button, Miss Chant." Conrad grinned back at her. "Alright, I'll tell you once your lessons for today are over."

"Good one, Janet!" Rodger cried enthusiastically, patting her bac.

Janet blushed.

Julia and Cat laughed.

----

Lessons for Janet, Julia and Rodger were over and they were waiting impatiently for Cat in the playroom.

----

"Cat, are you even listening to me?" Chrestomanci asked.

"Not really." Cat had to admit. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Is Millie really from this world?"

Chrestomanci looked at him thoughtfully. "By that, I'm assuming you already guessed the answer was no."

"I did." Cat admitted. "So, she was the…"

"I'm not within liberty to tell you that, I'm afraid." Chrestomanci replied evasively. "Lesson over."

Cat looked at him suspiciously. "Alright." he replied, and then dashed off to the playroom.

------

"There you are, Cat!" Janet sighed. "At last!"

"Come on then." Conrad said. "We need to go down to the village."

----

They walked through the village, down to the alley.

"Stay with me." Conrad warned. "Don't go off yourself, I'm warning you."

The children didn't have to be told twice, and gathered closer together. They walked right to the end of the street, where there appeared to be a dead end. "Now, tell me what you see." Conrad said.

"The dead end." Julia, Rodger and Janet replied.

But Cat looked closer. He carefully put out a hand, and drew it back almost instantly. "How many spells are here?" he asked amazed.

"Quite a few. Break them, but remember to put them back up when you're done."

"How'd you…?" Rodger started, amazed

"I found this in a picture." Conrad said smugly. "It's a patched up…well, never mind it's too complicated. But we'd better be back soon. Christopher's many things, but he's not stupid."

Cat nodded, and then he, Julia, Rodger and Conrad picked at the spells and Janet felt useless.

-----

After a while, the spells were broken and the four children slipped through the space. Rodger and Julia both repaired the spells, and Cat doubled them.

"Where are we?" Janet asked, looking around at the place. It was like a huge wall of rocks, and seemed to go on forever.

"Worlds Edge. Follow me." Conrad replied.

It took them a few hours to find Series Ten, and another forty five minutes to find the Temple. But find it they did.

"And how do we get in?" Janet demanded.

Conrad looked at her pointedly. "What do you take me for? Do you think I'd bring you all the way out here for nothing? Don't be absurd. Now, I happen to have been here before, and one of the older priestesses owes me a favour. Wait here." He walked into the Temple. Ten minutes later, he came back out looking rather pleased with himself. "You can get in through the side door. You have an hour, then we really have to leave. It's almost the Goddess' birthday, and apparently they need to prepare."

Cat and Janet looked at each other in alarm, and the four children went through the indicated door, and were instantly plunged into darkness.

---

"Who's there?" a girl's voice demanded through the pitch blackness.

"Goddess, is that you?" Janet asked, knocking something over and wincing. It sounded expensive.

"Janet! Is Cat there? Have you come to get me out?" the Goddess sounded excited.

"I'm here!" Cat replied. "Why is it so dark?"

"Oh, it's a strange tradition. I'm not supposed to see anyone for three days before my birthday, and the Priestesses take it quite literally. Do any of you know how to create light?"

I do." Janet replied, much to the surprise of the three who knew her. She reached blindly into her bag and bought out a torch, flicking it on. "Meet some Twelve B magic." She laughed at the expressions on their faces. Now, Goddess, what were you saying about getting you out?"

"Who are they?" the Goddess asked, quite astonished to see Rodger and Julia.

"Oh, these are Chrestomanci's children." Cat replied quietly.

"Oh, Julie and Robert?" the Goddess asked.

"Almost right." Rodger laughed, and then corrected her.

"Oh. Well, will you take me back to your world? Please?"

The four Chants looked at each other, surprised. "But we can't-" Cat started.

"We'd get in so much trouble-" Julia said.

"Hang on." Rodger seemed to have taken a liking to the Goddess. "If she follows us and we don't know…"

Julia looked at her brother. "Well, we're in trouble anyway." She shrugged.

They talked for a while. Then-

"Well, goodbye, Goddess, and good luck with your birthday." Cat said, louder than usual.

"Yes, goodbye, Cat." The Goddess replied. "Oh, and Janet, here's your book."

"Keep it." Janet replied, and the four children left. They were aware of the eyes of Conrad's friendly priestess following their backs.

"All done?" Conrad asked cheerily as they were escorted out of the building by the priestess. "Now to go back and face Christopher!"

----

A few hours later, they were back at Chrestomanci Castle, and Chrestomanci was waiting for them. He didn't look too happy. "Nice of you to show up." he said.

"You needn't look at Cat like that, Christopher; they were down at the village with me.

Chrestomanci visibly relaxed. Now he could blame Conrad, and Millie might back off. "Come on then, we'd better get you four to the playroom.

Cat, Janet, Julia and Rodger all sighed, relieved. Cat was aware of someone invisibly bumping into him. Oops.

"Ouch!" the Goddess couldn't help gasping.

"Who's your friend, Cat?" Chrestomanci said, whirling around and instantly cancelling the spell.

"She…" Cat started helplessly.

"My name's Kitty, and I need someone to teach me magic." The Goddess replied. "I heard that you were good for the job."

Chrestomanci looked rather surprised by this. "Who are your parents?" he asked.

"I don't know." The Goddess replied staunchly. "I'm an orphan, but apparently I have a talent for magic. So, I came here when I met Cat and the others in the village. I do hope that isn't a problem, but Rodger and Julia said you wouldn't mind if I stayed here while I'm learning."

Chrestomanci looked at the other children, who tried not to look too surprised at this story.

He looked at Conrad, who shrugged.

And then he stared at the Goddess, who stared back defiantly.

"Alright." he said finally. "Alright, you can stay a few nights, and we'll certainly look into your claim of magic. You'll have to share with Julia or Janet tonight. They'll show you the way to the playroom. Dinner will be brought up in about an hour. Conrad, I must show you what I've found about your camera. "

Conrad nodded and left with Chrestomanci, but not before giving all five children an odd look.

The Goddess looked incredibly pleased.

Cat, Julia, Rodger and Janet, however, looked at each other warily. They weren't exactly sure what was going on here, but Chrestomanci certainly wasn't just going to accept the Goddess like that.

"So where's the playroom?" the Goddess asked cheerfully.

"Eh, this way." Rodger said and led the way.

**A nice, long chapter for you to review.**


	7. Enchantress

**Chapter seven, folks.**

**Chapter 7**

"It's not much, compared to what you're used to." Cat said hastily as he opened the door to the playroom. But the Goddess beamed.

"Oh, Cat, it's beautiful! Just like the one in the _Miss Kitty_ book!" she cried, impulsively hugging him.

Rodger smirked at the obvious embarrassment on Cat's face. This would be a great way to get him back for teasing him about fancying Janet. Which he didn't, of course. Not at all. Really.

-----

The Goddess was looking at the playroom in awe, especially the bookshelves. "Are these _all _fiction?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes." Janet replied. "Julia and I, we love to read. Here" She handed the Goddess another book.

"What's this?" the Goddess asked, and then her eyes lit up. "Oh! _Miss Kitty and the Handsome Stranger_! How many Miss Kitty books are there?"

"A few." Julia laughed. "They're still being produced, you know."

"I'm going to love it here." The Goddess grinned.

Rodger shook his head. "Just you wait. You haven't had one of Michael's lessons yet." He informed her ruefully.

"They aren't _that_ bad, Rodger." Cat said.

"What're you talking about? You get to train to rule the world with Dad while we're stuck learning to levitate mirrors – like we've never done that before."

"Levitating mirrors?" the Goddess asked, interested.

Janet smirked. "Right, you magical lot, get to work. The God…Kitty here would like to see the mirrors."

-----

The five children were whizzing around on mirrors, laughing their heads off when Euphemia opened the door. "Are you supposed to be doing that?" she asked, cheerfully enough.

"Eh…no. Don't tell Dad." Rodger replied, taking the tray from her.

Euphemia laughed. "Don't worry, I won't. Now, either I'm seeing things or there are five dinners on that tray. Mary was going nuts. Who's your friend?"

"This is the G-Kitty." Cat replied, a forkful of food halfway to his mouth. "She's staying her for a while."

"Well, I'm pleased to meet you Miss G. Kitty." Euphemia laughed. "Mind you're in bed and those mirrors are gone when your mother comes up to check on you." She added to Rodger and Julia, then left.

"She seemed nice." The Goddess said later, finishing her food daintily. "But what the devil did you mean by almost telling her who I was?"

Cat squirmed. "I do apologise. Hadn't we better be getting to bed?"

Rodger stared away from him, determined not to laugh.

-------

The Goddess was in Janet's room that night. She seemed so enthusiastic about everything. But now she was sitting at the edge of the sofa bed (a _very_ posh one), looking rather upset.

"What's wrong?" Janet asked her, through her toothbrush.

"I miss Taia." The Goddess sighed in reply. "My cat."

Janet surveyed her for a moment, then turned to the mirror. "Cat! Cat, can you hear me?"

"Yes. What is it?" Cat's voice replied, rather irritably, followed by his image in the mirror.

"Could you get Fiddle?"

Cat's image looked rather surprised by this. "Why…oh, never mind. I'll be right back."

The Goddess was fascinated. "How _did_ you do that?"

"Two way mirror." Janet said, but was prevented from saying more when Cat reappeared.

"Do you want me to send him over now?" Cat asked, obviously still confused as to why.

"If you don't mind." Janet replied. "Goodnight, Cat."

"'night, Janet. G'night G-Kitty" Cat replied sleepily, and then the mirror went back to being a mirror. About ten seconds later, an orange streak of fur appeared in the middle of the floor.

"This is Fiddle." Janet said. "Cat's…err…cat. And he seems to like you." She added, laughing as Fiddle ran straight to the Goddess and jumped into her lap, purring like anything.

The Goddess petted him, smiling. "Thank you, Janet. Goodnight." She said.

"Goodnight." Janet replied.

------

The next morning, the five children trailed down to Michael's room. Michael didn't bat an eyelid on seeing the Goddess, so the others assumed Chrestomanci or Conrad had already told him.

Luckily for the Goddess, they were doing Maths and French that day, those were the same over all the worlds.

But then it was time for magic, and the Goddess looked up hopelessly as Janet and Cat both left the room.

"Alright…Kitty, wasn't it?" Michael asked. The Goddess nodded nervously. "Let's see you levitate that book."

The Goddess raised her arms, and raised the book…then the table…then tiles from the floor…

"STOP!" Michael roared.

The Goddess lowered her arms guiltily. "Eh…"

Michael was surveying her closely. "Try a mending spell." He said, pointing to the floor.

The Goddess did it, and easily. Rodger and Julia were staring, and Michael looked rather amazed.

Michael was looking even more so. Rodger and Julia were rather neglected that day, as Michael tested the Goddess far beyond anything he'd ever tried with any of the Chant children.

-----

Chrestomanci paused mid speech as his desk raised a few inches off the ground then clattered to the floor with an almighty crash.

"Was that you?" he asked Cat, blinking.

"I thought it was you." Cat replied.

"That's what I thought." Chrestomanci replied. "I must move my study. It isn't very safe above Michael's room." (I know it isn't there, but for the purpose of this story…)

Cat looked surprised. "Julia couldn't have done that. Neither could Rodger. That's enchanter's magic"

"What about your friend Kitty?" Chrestomanci replied shrewdly.

"It could have been." Cat replied uncomfortably. "But I'm not sure that's possible…"

A while passed.

"Where did you meet her, Cat?" Chrestomanci asked.

"I told you, the village. Can I go?" Cat asked.

Chrestomanci nodded. "I guess so. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

-----------

The five children met up on the grounds later that day.

"Was that you levitating back there?" Cat demanded of the Goddess.

"How'd you know-?"

"Chrestomanci's desk rose about a foot in the air." Cat explained. "That's enchanter's magic. You aren't an enchantress, are you?"

"That." The Goddess said. "Is a horribly sexist word. Why should I be an enchantress and you be an enchanter? Our powers are the same. Well, they would be if you didn't have nine lives…"

"I had the exact same argument with Christopher when I was your age." Millie's voice laughed from behind them. "You must be Kitty. I'm Rodger and Julia's mother, Millie."

The Goddess span around, smiling. "Hello, I…"

She trailed off. Millie and The Goddess's eyes met, and the smiles on both faces faltered.

The other four children stared at this.

"Mummy?" Julia said uncertainly.

"Kitty, what's wrong?" Janet asked.

Both females blinked.

Millie turned to face the others. "Yes, my dears, dinner's almost ready. I wanted to come out and get you, because Conrad wanted to show you his camera, and…"

"Is everything alright, Mum?" Rodger raised an eyebrow.

"Of course it is." Millie said, smiling again. "Come on now, back to the Castle."

They all started walking, and Cat turned back and grabbed the Goddess's hand. "Come on." he said, waking her up from her daydream. "Aren't you hungry?"

The Goddess nodded, shaking her head as if to clear it. "Yes. Yes, I am quite hungry."

None of the young Chant's could fail to notice the strange looks the Goddess and Millie kept shooting at each other.

To Rodger and Julia, this was incredibly odd.

To Cat, and possibly to Janet, it appeared they'd just been proved right.

But if they had, and if Chrestomanci found out exactly who 'Kitty' really was…

Well, at the very least, they wouldn't be escaping trouble quite as easily as they had recently.

**Reviews?**


	8. Guardian

**Apologies for not updating yesterday, sharing a computer you know, but I digress…Chapter eight! Read on.**

**Chapter 8**

It had been about a week and a half since the Goddess had arrived at Chrestomanci Castle. She had her own room now, not as big as any of the other children's (it was just a spare), but comfortable. And then Chrestomanci called her to his office.

"Do you think he knows?" she asked Cat anxiously.

Cat shook his head, but it was uneasy.

"Perhaps we should come with you." Janet suggested.

"Good idea." The Goddess replied, nervously.

-----

Julia knocked on the door for them, since the others (except Rodger, who was with Conrad at that point) were all hanging back, looking nervous.

"Who is it?"

"It's us, Dad!"

"Come in."

The four children entered the room and took a seat.

Chrestomanci raised an eyebrow. "I thought I called for Kitty, not all of you."

Cat shrugged. "Have you seen us apart since I disappeared, except at lessons?"

Chrestomanci had to admit he hadn't. "Anyway, Kitty, I have called you here for a reason. I'll ask you again, who cares for you?"

The Goddess was ready for this. "Myself, sir." She replied calmly.

"Well, as I'm sure you've realised, I am very interested in your magic." Chrestomanci went on. "And, if as you say, you have nowhere else to go…"

"What are you saying?" demanded the Goddess. She wasn't a person who liked to, as they say, beat around the bush.

"What we're saying, love," Millie, who the children hadn't previously noticed was in the room, said. "Is that you may stay here for as long as you like, and that Christopher and I will be willing to become your legal guardians."

"What?" the Goddess exclaimed. "What, really? Gosh, you _darlings_!"

Chrestomanci had an odd look on his face, as if he was having a weird sort of de ja vu.

The Goddess turned to Cat, Janet and Julia, beaming. They were all grinning back at her. She calmed herself down. "What I meant to say is…Well, what do you three think?" she said in an 'I'm-trying-to-be-very-calm-about-this' voice.

"I dunno." Cat answered, casually leaning back on his chair.

Janet shrugged.

Julia said, "I don't really know either."

Then all three laughed as the Goddess said "Oh, alright then, if you insist. I suppose you couldn't do without me, could you?"

Chrestomanci smiled at her. "No, I suppose we couldn't. Now, Michael has been talking with me, and he says that it isn't really a good idea for you to be taking magic with him anymore."

The Goddess looked ready to protest, when he said "Let me finish. From now on, you will be taking lessons with me, along with Cat."

Cat looked from Chrestomanci to the Goddess. "Way to make me feel…normal." He sighed.

"Ah, Cat, you'll never be normal." The Goddess replied.

"Tell me about it." Janet grinned.

The door opened, and Mary walked in. "Letter for you, sir." She said, dropping a fat envelope on Chrestomanci's desk.

"Thank you…Magda." Chrestomanci replied.

"Mary." hissed Millie into her husband's ear.

"Yes, Mary, of course." He amended hastily.

The maid curtseyed and left.

"There's one for you, Cat." Chrestomanci said mildly, taking the smaller of the two pieces of paper out of the fat envelope. "Why don't you go down to the playroom and read it? Oh, and if you see Conrad, send him up here."

Cat nodded, and the four children stood and left the room. They met Rodger and Conrad on the stairs. "We were just looking for you!" all six of them said simultaneously, and then laughed.

Cat said to Conrad, "Chrestomanci wants to see you."

Conrad nodded. "Sorry, Rodger, I've been summoned." he laughed. "See you later." He said to them all, and then headed up the stairs.

"Tell me all." Rodger and Julia demanded of each other.

"You go first." They both said.

Janet stopped them. "Why don't you go first, Rodger? Our news is considerably bigger."

Rodger did as he was told.

The other three tried their best not to say anything, or laugh.

-----

In the playroom, Rodger was still going on about the Goddess' news. "No way!" he said again.

"Yes way, Rodger, do shut up." The Goddess replied irritably. "I want to hear Cat's letter."

Rodger stuck his tongue out at her, but looked at Cat to read it.

Cat opened it up. "It's from Tonino!" he said.

"Tonino?" the Goddess asked.

"Eh…Italian boy. He was here for a while last year. I'll explain later." Cat said, and then read out the letter, impressed by how few spelling and grammar mistakes there were.

"_Dear Cat, Julia, Janet, Rodger,_

_How are you? Things are very good here. My sister, Rosa, she just had baby, so it is rather loud too! Anyway, my mother hears that her old friend be staying at Castle, and invite you all to stay here…"_

"Italy!" Julia exclaimed "Do you think Daddy will…"

"Shut up and let him finish" Rodger barked.

"…_in the Casa Montana for a few weeks. My brother, Paolo, he want to meet you all very much, and so does Angelica. I tell you about her in last letter, no? Hopefully I see you in a few days._

_Tonino."_

The children sat, looking at each other for a second.

The Goddess was first to speak. "Is it warm in Italy? I don't know how you put up with the weather here…"

-----

"What can I do for you, oh great Lord Christopher?" Conrad asked opening the door with a flourish.

"Fancy a trip to Italy, Grant?" Chrestomanci asked.

"Italy?" Conrad asked cautiously. "What're you on about, Smith?"

"Don't call me that!"

"Don't call me Grant then."

They stared at each other for a second.

"Yes, Italy. Caprona to be exact." Chrestomanci replied eventually. "Elizabeth is dying to see you."

"Oh! Elizabeth?" Conrad beamed. "It has been a while. Not since your wedding…and she always had a thing for me."

"Dream on, Conrad." Millie laughed.

"Oh, shut it you. You fancied me something awful and all. You just settled for him because you felt sorry for him."

Chrestomanci looked rather annoyed by this. "What the devil so you mean by that?"

"Come on, Christopher, you didn't even technically leave your bed to meet her." Conrad laughed.

Millie laughed too.

"Alright, stop it." Chrestomanci said, irritated. "Conrad, just settle for the fact that all the young ladies had a thing for me, not you."

"Two words, Christopher. Fay Marley." Conrad retorted.

"Alright, alright" Millie cut in hastily. "Conrad, go and tell the children to pack their things, please."

"What am I, a servant?" Conrad replied indignantly, but did as he was asked.

There was silence in the study for a while, before…

"I did feel sorry for you, you know."

"Oh do be quiet, Millie"

**Review, my friends.**

**Oh and special hugs for Flavius and the-rainbow-dreamer for reviewing faithfully. And Lup, for commenting on my Gaia.**


	9. Italy

**To Italy, to Italy, ****andiamo (That means 'we go')**

**Chapter 9**

The children were buzzing with excitement. In a few hours, they were heading to one of the two most esteemed spell houses in Caprona, nay, in Italy. They were all in the playroom, discussing if they'd remembered to bring everything, and if Mr and Mrs Montana would mind the Goddess coming along, and (Julia and Janet) if Tonino would still be quite as handsome as he was last year. The door opened. Millie walked in. "Kitty." She said quietly. "Can I speak to you for a minute?"

"Huh? Umm…sure, yeah." The Goddess replied. She stood up and followed Millie glancing back at the others, who were looking just as mystified as she was.

-------

They were in a room that wasn't even used anymore. Millie looked at the Goddess. "Kitty, love, is there anything you haven't told us?" she asked frankly.

"Err…no, no there isn't." The Goddess replied warily.

"Nothing at all?"

"No."

Millie sighed. "Kitty, oblige me and show me the sole of your right foot."

The Goddess tensed. "Why?" she wanted to know.

Millie just looked at her.

The Goddess slowly took off her shoe and lifted her leg briefly to show the birthmark. She stared at the floor the whole time.

"You hated your life at the temple. It was so boring, and then one day…one day a strange boy came along, strange but _nice_, and not too bad looking either. You thought to yourself 'He's the one who's going to get me out of here!' But he never did. It's nearly your birthday, and the boy comes again. You talk, he leaves, and you follow him back into his world. You insist you are named after the character in your favourite book so that his – and later your – guardian never finds out who you are. Is that about right?" Millie asked kindly

The Goddess looked up, surprised. "How…how did you know all of that?" she demanded.

Millie surveyed her for a few moments, and then seemed to decide she could be trusted. Millie said four words then, just four, with amazing power behind them, and not the magical kind.

"Been there, done that."

Now the Goddess was really surprised. "_You_-?!" she asked incredulously, and then suddenly found she was not so surprised. She remembered the first day she'd met Millie, that strange feeling…"Does Chre-your husband know?" she asked, looking downwards again.

"About me? I certainly hope so."

The Goddess laughed. "No! About me!"

Millie said, "No, I don't think he does. Tell you what. You keep my secret from Julia and the others, and I'll keep yours from Christopher. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Alright." Millie said. "Now hurry along to the playroom, I'm sure Julia and Janet are both dying to discuss Tonino's big brother Paolo with you."

The Goddess nodded and went to the door. She turned back for a second hesitantly. "Thanks." She said, and then closed the door behind her.

--------

"Well, this is more like it!" The Goddess exclaimed outside Casa Montana. "Warm, beautiful...and the boys are considerably more attractive." She added as a young boy about Cat's age approached them.

"Hey!" Cat and Rodger both said indignantly.

"Tonino!" Janet and Julia both exclaimed, taking turns to hug him.

"Julia, Janet! Ciao!" Tonino replied, smiling. "And Cat and Rodger too! And you must be…Kitty, no? You are very pretty."

The Goddess blushed and the two other girls giggled. Rodger snorted and Cat looked rather irritated.

"Tonino. Come siete?" Chrestomanci asked, finally catching up with the children along with his wife and Conrad.

"Benissimo, ringraziamenti!" Tonino replied. "And you?"

"Sono molto bene. Ciò è la mia moglie, Millie e questo è Conrad" Chrestomanci replied, introducing his wife and Conrad.

"Could you please stop that? We all know you're fantastic, but some of us can't speak Italian, Chrestomanci." The Goddess demanded in her usual blunt way.

The others all laughed.

Chrestomanci blinked. "Chiedo scusa, Kitty."

The Goddess glared at him.

"Won't you come inside?" Tonino asked.

"Yes, I think that's a good idea." Millie agreed.

------

"Wait here." Tonino said, leading the group into a large lounge room. Before he left, a cat came trotting into the room curiously. Julia put out a hand, but it ignored it. It headed straight for the Goddess, curious about her. It let her stoke it, and Tonino paused.

"What's wrong, Tonino?" Julia asked, rather .put off by being shunned by a cat.

"Benvenuto never allows anyone but me to pet him." Tonino said incredulously.

"Don't worry about it. Kitty has a way with cats. They all seem to be attracted to her."

Cat glared at her and the Goddess blushed.

Benvenuto didn't like this, and trotted back out again.

Millie seemed to find this rather funny and laughed from her seat.

Tonino smiled. "Alright. I will go and get my mother now."

Ten minutes later, Tonino returned with a pretty blonde woman in tow.

"Conrad!" she exclaimed, running to him.

"'lo, Lizzie!" Conrad grinned, standing up so she could hug him. "Can I ask you a question? Did you like me back in the Castle?"

Millie sighed, but couldn't help laughing.

Chrestomanci raised an eyebrow.

"Of course I liked you, Conrad, until Antonio came along." Elizabeth replied. "Who wouldn't, when the only others I had to choose from were Jason and Bernard. And him!" she laughed, pointing at Chrestomanci in the corner.

"Nice to see you too, Elizabeth." Chrestomanci replied irritably.

"Oh, I love you really." Elizabeth replied, wiping her eyes. "And Millie, how are you doing?" she asked, letting go of Conrad and going over to Millie instead.

The two women hugged. "I'm alright. You?"

"Well, I can't get any sleep thanks to Susana, but that aside I'm fine."

"Oh good Lord." Millie moaned.

"What is it, Mummy?" Julia asked.

"Eh…just thought I'd be catching up on my sleep here, that's all." Millie replied quickly.

Tonino was looking irritated with all the English that was going on so fast around him, so none of the five children had time to question Millie on this any further as Tonino took them to meet Paolo. He was outside, with two girls about the same ages as Tonino and Paolo.

"This is my brother, Paolo and these are Renata and Angelica Petrocchi from the Casa Pettrochi. Angelica, Renata, Paolo, these are Cat, Julia, Janet and Rodger and their friend Kitty." Tonino said.

"Pleased to meet you." Angelica replied, smiling shyly at Cat, and it was the Goddess' turn to look annoyed.

Rodger looked equally irritated when Paolo winked at Janet.

Julia just laughed at the whole lot of them.

-----

Later, they all went inside for dinner. It was packed; there were Petrocchis and Montanas alike. (Although, more Montanas obviously). Near the end of the table sat Rosa and Marco with a small baby, who they assumed was Susana. They all ate for a while, and it was delicious. Suddenly, there was a strong feeling, a sort of rush and the spaghetti they were eating turned into macaroni.

"What's going on?" mixed with calls of "Che cosa sta accendendo?!" (Which means the same thing.) Conrad, Chrestomanci and Millie all looked at each other in alarm.

Everyone headed for the doors. Suddenly, Chrestomanci stood up. "Stop! Arresto!" he called.

He wasn't very loud, but everyone heard him and slowed to a halt, turning around to face him. He was standing on a chair to let them all hear. "No one go outside!"

"Why not?" demanded Marco, standing beside his wife who was holding Susana, who was screaming.

"Can't the children go outside?" A Petrocchi woman asked. Everyone started muttering between themselves, and it was obvious noone was listening to Chrestomanci anymore.

"Oi! YOU LOT!" Cat yelled, and even those who didn't understand what he was saying looked around. Chrestomanci looked at him in surprise, but he kept on." No one an go out, especially not the children. Not if you want to keep them."

Everyone looked frightened by this teenager saying such ominous things. Slowly, they all milled around to find a seat again.

"Well done, Cat." Chrestomanci muttered.

Cat shrugged. "All it means is you have to explain to me later." He replied.

**Not my best chapter, but there you have it. Review?**


	10. Witch

**This fic is gonna be sooooooooooooooooooooo much longer than it prequel. **

**Especially this chapter. Nearly four pages on Microsoft Word and nearly two hours of my life here, so you'd better read **_**and**_** review.**

**Chapter 10**

Susana Elizabeth Montana-Petrocchi was one month old and not in a very happy mood. Chrestomanci supposed he should be thankful for that, if there's one thing that could distract the crowd of impatient Italians from rioting it was trying to quieten the first baby between the two spell houses in two centuries.

Still, it would be nice if she was a little quieter, he was trying to think, and mixed with the other young children it was starting to hurt his head.

"So what are we going to do?" he half shouted to Conrad over the yelling of the baby, who Rosa insisted on holding when she was right next to him.

"I don't know." Conrad replied loudly. "Just sit and wait 'til it shifts back, I guess."

"Hasn't it occurred to you _I_ could help?" Cat asked from beside them.

"Don't be silly, Eric-" Conrad started.

Cat looked furious, but both were prevented from saying more when Susana let out her loudest yell yet.

"Oh give her here." Millie said and took the baby from Rosa, who looked at her gratefully.

Janet approached them then. "I've helped count up everyone, but I can't seem to find Tonino or Kitty anywhere!"

"Hold her, Christopher." Millie said, standing up again immediately and handing him the baby, who promptly threw up all over his suit.

Cat followed Millie, simply so Chrestomanci would not see him laughing.

Chrestomanci stared at Susana with a sort of frozen horror on his face, glad his children were way past that stage.

Susana giggled as Conrad roared with laughter.

"At least you're happy." Chrestomanci muttered, handing the baby to Conrad and rushing off to find a bathroom. Maybe he could still save the suit.

---------

Cat and Janet took the left of the Casa, Millie took the right. That could still take a while, but hey, better than nothing.

Janet glanced out of the window, just by chance as they walked past, and saw two children walking as if hypnotised towards a woman. "Look Cat! They're there! Should we get Millie, or…"

"No time." Cat replied, and without another word grabbed Janet's arm and together they headed for the nearest door.

--------

A probability shift, two children missing, a suit ruined, young Italian children running around screaming for _caramella_ (sweets), adolescents sulking in the corners and a baby once again crying in his lap. Christopher Chant couldn't help but think this wasn't his day. Conrad had dumped Susana on him again as soon as he'd came back, and left with the other adults to search for Tonino and Kitty. Chrestomanci had tried to ague, but failed.

_Oh goody, a flashback_

"_You hold the baby Christopher."_

"_What? You were doing just fine yourself, Conrad!"_

"_Yes, but someone needs to go and help the other adults look for the children, and help reinforce the Casa's protection spells."_

"_I could do that! Better than you could!"_

"_Yes, but someone needs to look after the children."_

"_You could do that!"_

"_Ah, but Christopher, you forget…I don't want to."_

_And Conrad had laughed and followed the older magic users out of the room, leaving Chrestomanci alone with_ a_ probability shift, two children missing, a suit ruined, young Italian children running around screaming for _caramella_, adolescents sulking in the corners and a baby once again crying in his lap._

_End flashback_

Chrestomanci tried rocking the baby about a little.

Susana threw up on him again, and giggled.

Ah well.

At least it wasn't crying now, he thought grimly.

------

They found a door and pushed outside. Cat had the sense to cast a spell. "To find our way back." he explained to Janet.

Janet didn't want to think about what would happen if they _didn't _find their way back.

The outside of Casa Montana was not as it had been not half and hour previously. The trees were a different type, and the angel statue over the gate was broken. The two children walked briskly across the huge grounds, knowing full well there would now be adults (and probably Julia and Rodger too) out and about looking for Tonino and the Goddess as well.

Under what looked like some sort of palm tree, they saw an old woman grab the two children by the wrists. This seemed to wake them up, and their eyes went wide with fear. Janet gasped. "It's _her_, Cat!" she exclaimed. "From the alley!"

"Let them go!" Cat demanded.

The witch looked up, grinning toothlessly. "Why now, if it ain't young Eric!" she crowed.

"I said, let them go!" Cat repeated, clenching his hands into fists.

"Now, Eric, now, Eric, don't go talkin' to yer elders like that! I'll let ye choose, will I, Eric?"

Cat wished she'd stop using his name. "I'm not going to _choose_ between them!" Cat spat.

The witch just smiled and turned to Tonino, who was struggling against her with all his might, and suddenly he went limp. "Boy. 'oo is tha' li'l lady, and 'oo is she to Eric?" She shook her other arm where the Goddess was also leaning against the tree, quite deprived of energy.

Tonino shook his head weakly. "I shall never tell you!" And then he yelled in obvious pain.

"Stop it! Stop it, you _beast_!" Janet yelled, only stopping running towards them by Cat holding her back.

"I will, my dearie, when 'e answers me question!"

Tonino gasped, tears running down his cheeks. "Her name is Kitty! She's Cats friend! Please do stop! Arrestilo prego!"

"And you, girl." The witch said, ignoring Tonino's pleas. "'oo is he?"

"I shan't give him away." The Goddess replied, in obvious pain herself. "Not if you're going to hurt him."

"Tell me girl, or I will 'urt 'im, and ye too!"

She tweaked her wrist and the Goddess screamed. Cat and Janet both started forwards, but there was some sort of magical barrier and they were thrown backwards. This explained why there were no adults fining them, Cat thought.

"His name's Tonino." The Goddess replied, unable to take it. "He's Cat's friend, that's all. And if you don't stop, Chrestomanci will get you!" and she proceeded to start calling on her guardian.

"Don't waste yer energy, love, 'e can't hear ye!" the witch cackled. "Alrigh', Eric, pick. Yer girlfriend or yer buddy?"

Janet was signalling to Cat now. "I want to talk about it with my sister." Cat replied, clearly. "You aren't to hurt them."

Even while panicking, Janet grinned to hear the words 'my sister'. She couldn't help herself. She whispered to Cat for a few minutes and then Cat turned round to reply. "I will swap you Tonino and Kitty for Janet." He said, hoping to God Janet's plan would work.

"Why would I want to be doin' that, Eric?" The witch asked.

"Because Kitty can't do magic and Tonino's terrible at it." Cat replied, lying through his teeth. "Can't you feel that?"

"Ah, but tha' could just be my spells, couldn't it Eric?" the witch replied.

"Yes, but I swear they can't anyway. But I'm a nine lived enchanter, and Janet here is my sister. Surely you realise this makes her an incredibly powerful enchantress in her own right." While saying this, Cat made a slight gesture with his hand.

"Alrigh' then. The witch said after an age. "Alrigh', send her over and I'll send these two worthless pieces o' skin an' bones."

Cat nodded, shooting the Goddess, who quite obviously was about to attack the witch, magic or no.

The barrier parted slightly and Tonino and the Goddess came through and Cat sent Janet in.

The witch stood with Janet held by the arm. "Oh yes, very strong magic 'ere…" she said greedily.

Cat had by then finished telling the Goddess and Tonino what to do. He cancelled the spell making it appear that Janet could cast magic.

"You cheated me, boy! I'll kill 'er now, an' then get all of yeh! Don't yeh realise yeh're trapped?" The witch hissed.

Cat and the Goddess instantly started casting a spell, and Tonino sang loudly for all he was worth to back them up. The many barriers surrounding them slowly disintegrated, and then all four children cried for all the were worth

"Chrestomanci! Chrestomanci! _Chrestomanci_!"

There was a whoosh of wind and Chrestomanci appeared, Susana Montana-Petrocchi in one arm and sick all down his front. Yet he still managed to look impressive.

He took a look around and handed Susana to the Goddess. He then turned to the witch, ready to do unspeakable things to her, it seemed, but she threw Janet to the ground and vanished.

Janet slowly sat up and Cat ran to help her.

"Are you alright?" he asked anxiously.

"I'm alive." Janet replied grimly. "Are the G-I mean, are Kitty and Tonino alright?"

Cat nodded, hauling Janet to her feet. The walked over to the others, Janet with her arm around Cat's shoulder and limping slightly, just in time to hear the Goddess give Chrestomanci a thorough telling off.

"..And you're _supposed_ to be a nine-lived enchanter, not a babysitter. _Surely_ you realised there'd be protection spells up. What sort of a Chrestomanci are you anyway?"

"It's nice to see you're alright." Chrestomanci muttered. "Tonino?"

"I am unharmed."

"Janet?" he added.

"Just dying" Janet replied cheerfully.

And then, all of a sudden, there was another sideways shift and everything was normal again.

"Good. Let's go back up to the Casa." Chrestomanci replied.

"Oh, don't mind me. Next Chrestomanci standing right here." Cat said huffily. "You have three lives left, Eric it doesn't matter if you die." He imitated Chrestomanci quite well.

Everyone had to laugh, even Janet, who was quite obviously in quite a bit of pain.

Susana stated yelling impatiently

"We'd better be getting this one to her mother." The Goddess added. "You're rubbish with kids, Chrestomanci, you know that? I'm surprised Rodger and Julia are still _alive. _But then, I guess they had Millie…"

Cat grinned. The Goddess had a way to cheer everyone up, no matter what the occasion.

And he had a feeling they were going to need her around a lot.

**A little bit of drama mixed in with some Comic relief. Who's the best Chrestomanci based author ever? I'll answer that. Diana Wynne Jones. Lol, review?**


	11. Baby

**Apologies, apologies, apologies times a million for such a late update. Please please please find it in your heart to forgive me, and please read and review!**

**Chapter 11**

Janet was, evidently, in an a lot worse situation than any of them had first thought. This they realised when she crumpled halfway across the gardens.

"Janet!" Cat exclaimed as her arm slipped from around his neck.

This caused the others to look around, and Chrestomanci was instantly by her side. He bent over her for a few moments, Cat retreating a little, then picked her up.

"She'll be alright." He said to the children's worried faces as he carried her through the doors.

------

Chrestomanci gently placed Janet on one of the sofas in the smaller lounge. The Goddess, Tonino and Cat all sat down on the nearest one, shooting her nervous glances once every few seconds.

It wasn't long before Julia, Rodger, Conrad and Millie all came into the room, evidently having been summoned.

"Oh you found them!" Millie said breathlessly. "Have you told the others?"

"No, not yet." Chrestomanci replied. "Could one of you…"

"I'll go, Daddy." Julia volunteered.

"I'll go with her." Conrad added, then spotted Janet on the couch. "By the gods, what happened to _her_?" he couldn't help asking.

Rodger looked in the same direction as his godfather. "Janet!" he exclaimed and hurried over. "Janet, are you alright?"

Janet moaned and opened her eyes. Cat and the others stood up, immediately walking over.

"Rodger…need you shout so?" she muttered weakly.

"Same old Janet then." The Goddess said, just as relieved as everyone.

"Can you deal with her, Millie, while Conrad and Julia look for the others?" Chrestomanci asked as Conrad and Julia left.

"Can't you deal with her?" The Goddess asked sharply.

Chrestomanci surveyed her vaguely. "I'm afraid I have to be away in Series Ten. Apparently they've lost their Goddess."

"And why would they call on you?" the Goddess asked in a slightly-less-bold tone of voice. "What's it to do with Series Twelve?"

"We have a reputation." Chrestomanci replied after a pause. "Not such a good one. Now, I really must be off."

"'s alright Kitty." Janet said weakly as the Goddess looked ready to argue again. "Chrestomanci doesn't strike me as the bedside type anyway."

Millie and Rodger both laughed.

----

"Well, that was tiresome…" Chrestomanci said later that day as he re-entered the lounge which was now noticeably more crowded – Tonino, Paolo, Angelica, Renata and Elizabeth with Susana were all there, along with Conrad and Julia who had returned (obviously). Janet was looking considerably better, but still was lying down.

"What was, my love?" Millie asked from her chair beside where Janet was lying.

"Oh, just that Mother Proudfoot the second want me to help them find the Goddess because she's worried abut her, and quite a few of them are on her side."

"So what's the problem? You're paid to help people." Conrad pointed out.

"The other Priestesses have incredibly hostile feelings towards this suggestion – after all, the girl is too old to be the Living One anymore anyway, so I was there for about three hours trying to stop the Priestesses arguing before we got down to business. Even so, I really must return, and it is a lot easier to do so from the Castle. So, unfortunately, our little trip really must be ending.

The children all started protesting.

"But we just got here!"

"Janet can't go anywhere, she's ill!"

"We don't want to leave yet!"

"You are kidding!"

The Goddess, uncharacteristically, didn't say anything at all. Instead, she glanced at Millie, who gave her a reassuring smile.

The Goddess was not convinced.

"We leave in the morning." Chrestomanci's voice raised slightly over the protests – for Conrad had taken it upon himself to complain older than any of the children.

-----

Chrestomanci was leading the way out of the Casa. Then, blinking in the morning sun, he turned to the others. "Where is Kitty?" he demanded.

"Still saying her goodbyes I think." Rodger replied.

Janet, who was being supported by Conrad, said "She mentioned unfinished farewells."

Just then, the mystery of where the Goddess was was solved as she came out of the Casa with a baby in her arms. "Susana didn't get to say by bye to Uncle Chris." she explained and without waiting shoved the baby into Chrestomanci's arms.

"Eh…bye?" Chrestomanci said cautiously to the infant…

…Who was promptly sick on him.

Chrestomanci groaned. Another suit ruined.

----------------

And as they walked up the lawn towards the Castle, back in Britain, Chrestomanci said "And I never want to see another baby ever again."

"Well, that could be a bit of a problem." The Goddess said. "Right, Janet?"

"If our source is correct." Janet replied, glancing up at the man she was leaning against.

Chrestomanci looked at them sharply. "What do you mean?"

Conrad said, "Well, if _my _source is correct, then there'll be a pitter-patter of tiny feet around the Castle once more very very soon.

"What are you talking about?" Chrestomanci asked, exasperated.

"Millie's pregnant again." The Goddess replied, brutally frank and to the point as always.

"With a baby" Janet clarified.

"Just like little Susana." Conrad finished cheerfully.

The reaction was fantastic. Julia and Rodger both glanced at each other then at the three in front of them, shouting "WHAT?" simultaneously.

Cat looked almost as surprised. "For real?"

And poor Chrestomanci, he looked ready to faint.

Conrad laughed, almost dislodging Janet.

"Who told you?" Millie demanded.

"Lizzie." Conrad replied promptly. "Lizzie told me and made me swear not to tell you she did. She also made me swear not to tell Christopher. Ah well…"

"Conrad told me." The Goddess added. "But me and Janet sorta guessed anyway."

"And Kitty told me to cheer me up." Janet finished.

There was silence for a minute, then…

"So, if it's a girl, can we call it Gwendolen?" Rodger asked jokingly, calming to the idea much quicker than his father or sister did.

For this he received maximum glares from Janet, Julia and Cat.

"Christopher?" Millie asked cautiously. "Are you there?"

Chrestomanci blinked. "Yes. Well, let's get inside."

The children and Conrad were killing themselves laughing behind them.

**There ya have chapter 11. Reviews?**


	12. Pathetic

**Chapter 12 – nothing much in it, but hey.**

**Chapter 12**

Dinner that night was an awkward affair. Things as they were, the children were permitted to eat with the Family. Janet wasn't eating much, but that was to be expected.

Chrestomanci was carefully avoiding the eyes of his wife, and Rodger, Cat, Janet and Julia were finding it hard to keep their faces straight.

Neither the Goddess nor Conrad even bothered trying.

"What's going on?" Mary hissed to Cat and the Goddess as she bent over them to put down a tray.

Cat wasn't sure whether to say or not.

"Millie's pregnant." The Goddess had no trouble replying.

Mary's eyes sparkled. "Just wait 'til I tell Euphemia!"

As was probably obvious, the whole Castle knew by sunset.

------

"How're you feeling, Janet?" Conrad asked later that day as he came into the playroom.

"Like death." Janet replied from her chair.

"Just as long as you _aren't_ dead." He said cheerfully. "I don't think Christopher could deal with that on top of everything else."

"Has he talked to Mum at all since we got back?" Rodger wanted to know, looking up from where he was playing soldiers with Cat. (It was incredibly unfair, ever since Cat had realised he was an enchanter, Rodger hadn't won once. But he would continue battling)

"Your dad's been busy." Conrad replied, trying to be serious. "Incredibly so. He simply has had no time."

"Still in shock, huh?" The Goddess commented, not looking up from her newest _Miss Kitty_ book. (_Miss Kitty keeps a Secret_…oh the irony…)

"Pretty much." Conrad agreed.

"Well, it is as good as his own fault." The Goddess replied, turning a page.

She looked up to see everyone else giving her mingled looks of disgust and hilarity. "Oh, grow up." She stated before going back to the book.

Conrad was laughing, (surprise, surprise) and the looks on his godson and his sister's faces. (Rodger's sister, that is, not Conrad's, I'm pretty sure Anthea wasn't around at the time)

"Is there a reason you're here, Conrad?" Julia asked.

"Yeah, I actually wanted to talk to Eric…" Conrad started

"What else can I say about disappearing and losing my memory?" Cat couldn't help snapping and his soldiers turned to point their plastic guns at him.

"Calm down, Eric. I was going to ask you and Kitty about that witch."

"Oh." Cat replied meekly.

The Goddess slapped Cat across the back of the head. "Idiot." She said. "Ask away Conrad." She finished, smiling sweetly.

"You are way too much like Millie." Conrad frowned in mock disapproval.

"Why thank you." The Goddess replied.

"So, tell me a bit about the magic she was using." Conrad went on, obviously talking directly at Cat.

"It was strong…for a witch, anyway." Cat said. "Nothing on me of course…"

"Cat, stop showing off or I'll kill you." The Goddess said calmly.

Cat glared at her.

The Goddess took up the narrative. "She must have been powerful; there's no way a simple witch could've done all of that. I think she had outside help."

"I was going to say that." Cat muttered, annoyed.

"I'm also worried about the spell she used on Janet. It was awfully strong, enchanter level at least. We're lucky we could stop it when we did, or Janet would have certainly died." The Goddess ploughed onwards.

Janet shuddered and Rodger instinctively moved closer to her.

"Also, although magical barriers are relatively simple to set up, there's no way a witch, even an advanced one, could have cast all of them_ and _kept mine and Tonino's magic under control, _and_ been able to hurt us like she did, _and_ part the barrier to let us through, _ and _do that to Janet. You can tell Chrestomanci that's all we've got. And stop running around after him it's pathetic."

"Now you sound like Fay." Conrad shook his head, smirking. "Alright, I'll tell him that."

"I still think it's pathetic." The Goddess replied.

Conrad shut the door behind him.

Julia, Rodger and Janet laughed. Cat was still sulking.

--------

"Talked to him yet?" Conrad asked Millie cheerfully as they met in the corridor.

"You know what he's like, Conrad." Millie sighed. "He won't come out of his office."

"Is that so?" Conrad said. "Well, we have to fix that."

"Fix it?" Millie asked cautiously.

"Chrestomanci! Chrestomanci, your wife wants you" Conrad called in a shrill voice.

A whoosh of displaced air and Chrestomanci stood in front of them.

"And I'll be leaving now." Conrad smirked, and then walked off, pausing at the corner and turning invisible.

Silence.

"Christopher…"

"I'm busy, Millie…"

"Christopher Chant, don't even attempt that 'busy' line with me. Remember what happened last time you did." Millie replied sharply. (Note : See 'Breaking the News' if you don't know what she's on about)

"Alright, alright" Chrestomanci replied, irritated. "What do you want me to say?"

"You're going to be a father again, Christopher, and I _want_ you to deal with it."

"…"

"Fine. Don't say anything. Just don't expect me to talk to you." Millie whirled around and walked off. "C'mon, Con."

Conrad reappeared into visibility, wondering why he had wasted his magic going invisible in the first place and shot Chrestomanci a look that said 'idiot' before following Millie.

Chrestomanci glared after him.

This was going to be a long eight months.

**Short chapter, but** **I'm suffering brainfluff. Review?**


	13. Wrong

**Chapter 13…In which Christopher Chant gets the telling off he truly deserves. xD. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.**

**Chapter 13**

The next day, in magic lessons, Chrestomanci was seriously getting irritated by the way the Goddess kept glaring at him and sighing, quite obviously not listening to a word he said. "Is there a problem, Kitty?"

"Yes. You."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You're acting like a bloody five year old. Actually, some five year olds are way more mature." Kitty replied bluntly.

Cat looked at her uneasily.

Chrestomanci just looked politely bewildered. "What are you talking about, may I ask?"

"Your wife. Remember her?"

Cat decided to intervene. "What Kitty's trying to say is that you've really upset Millie." he explained.

"Upset Millie in what way?" Chrestomanci asked.

"Don't pretend you don't know what we're talking about. You're ignoring her. Now, I don't know why you're so against this baby, whether it's the shock, or whether it's because you already have two children, but to tell you the truth I don't particularly care." The Goddess said.

Chrestomanci opened his mouth.

"Let me talk," she continued. "And I advise you to listen. Millie's pregnant. Live with it. It's your fault anyway."

Cat looked away pointedly.

"My fault?" Chrestomanci asked, politely incredulous.

"How'd you she got pregnant in the first place? Anyway, that's beside the point. The point _is _that you need to talk to Millie and get this sorted out. The baby isn't gonna wait for you, you know. You need to spend time with her from now until it's born."

Chrestomanci blinked. "I'm not ignoring her. I'm just…"

"Busy?" Cat suggested. "Doing _what_, exactly?"

"Well, I have to find out exactly what is going on in Series Seven…"

"That's why Conrad's here" The Goddess pointed out. "And he's got Cat, Rodger, Julia, Janet and me to help, not to mention the rest of the Castle staff.

"Teaching you two magic…"

"There's always Michael. He wouldn't mind for a few months, and we could put up with the basics." Cat replied.

"And I have to help the Temple get back their Goddess."

"No, you don't. Firstly, she isn't the Goddess anymore _anyway. _And secondly, she's - I'm right here. And don't look so surprised, you knew ages ago, didn't you?"

Chrestomanci nodded. "I had my suspicions. You do realise that I'll have to-"

"Stop trying to change the subject!" the Goddess ordered. "Right, that's it, if you aren't going to spend time with Millie because of your stupid excuses, then…Cat?"

Cat nodded, then, quick as a flash, a silver watch was around Chrestomanci's wrist.

"Don't worry. It's 12A silver. It won't harm you, but it will certainly stop you doing magic. I put it on so only Kitty, Conrad or me can take it off of you, so don't even try getting Rodger or Julia to." Cat informed him. "It was Conrad's idea." he added as an afterthought. "Quite clever, don't you think?"

"Oh, and something else." The Goddess said sweetly. "We're going to be calling you 'Christopher' from now on, until you've redeemed yourself. Now go and find Millie.

And Chrestomanci was shoved out of the room, and wasn't very happy about being bossed about by two thirteen year olds.

He was so going to kill Conrad.

----

"Conrad" Chrestomanci said later that day.

"Can I help you, Christopher?"

"Get this thing off of me."

"No can do."

"What?"

"I promised the kids I wouldn't. Unless you've talked to Millie already and sorted it all out?" Conrad asked.

"You know, Conrad Tesdinic, I liked you better when you were an insecure, under confident, twelve year old convinced you had an evil fate." Chrestomanci replied, glaring.

"That's what this Castle does to you." Conrad shrugged. "My suggestion is that you go and find your wife before she or Kitty kills you. Au revoir, mon ami."

And with that, he left the hall.

Chrestomanci sighed. Conrad could've at least stayed as a witness to his murder twice over.

-----

"You did _what_?!" Rodger cried. "He'd have killed me or Julia!"

"We did what we had to." The Goddess shrugged from where she was reading on the small sofa beside Janet. "If Cat ever ignored me like that, I'd certainly tell him to get lost."

This took a moment to sink in.

"Wait, what?" Janet asked her. "Are you and Cat…?"

"Since when?" Rodger demanded of his best friend. "And why didn't I know?"

Cat looked utterly confused. "Err…I would've told you if I'd known." he replied.

"Hang on. Did you just ask Cat to go out with you?" Julia wanted to know.

"I might've done." The Goddess replied, not embarrassed in the least.

"I…" Cat started, evidently a lot more self-conscious than she was.

But just then, Conrad came in. "Right, I just met Christopher in the hallway. He's going to talk to Millie now. Are you coming?"

He looked at the disappointed looks on Janet and Julia's faces and then at the blush on Cat's. "Interrupting, am I?" he asked the Goddess.

"Not a bit." The Goddess replied, smirking. "Nothing we can't put off. Right, Rodger. You help Janet. Let's go spy on your parents."

"And I'll bring you back here if they decide to make up." Conrad replied.

"Stop making jokes like that!" Julia insisted.

Conrad, Janet and the Goddess all just laughed. Rodger looked just as sick and Cat…

…Cat was still confused.

----

"Millie?" Chrestomanci knocked on the door hesitantly.

"Come in." his wife's voice replied stiffly.

He opened the door hesitantly. "Eh…I've come to apologise."

"For what, Christopher?"

Now here Chrestomanci was stuck. Being perfect in everyway (well, so he thought), he wasn't exactly sure how to reply to this.

"That's what I thought." Millie replied, still not looking at him.

"Look, I'm really sorry Millie. You just surprised me and I…"

Millie sat and listened as he rambled on, apologising profoundly, and then when he said

"…and I really won't mind getting more suits dirty, honest…"

She burst into laughter. "Alright, alright Christopher, you win. I'll talk to you. But first you have to admit you were in the wrong."

"What?"

"Go on."

"I…I was…wr…I was…wro…Millie, don't make me." Chrestomanci pleaded, sounding about five years old.

Millie just blinked and continued to stare.

"Alright then. Iwaswrong. Happy?" he mumbled.

"Didn't quite hear that, Christopher."

"I was wrong, alright?" Chrestomanci replied, annoyed.

Millie laughed. "That's all I wanted to hear." She replied, then stood up and put her arms around him. "You idiot."

"And this is where we leave, children." Conrad's voice came loudly through the door. "You shouldn't be seeing this."

"Conrad!" Rodger and Julia both shrieked.

Cat and Janet tried to contain their laughter for the other Chants sakes.

The Goddess, yet again, didn't bother.

"How long have you been there?" Chrestomanci asked them, walking to the door and opening it.

"Long enough to hear you say that you were wrong and make it a cherished memory in our hearts forever, Christopher." The Goddess replied

Chrestomanci said, "and may I inquire as to why you're still calling me Christopher?"

"Just apologising isn't redeeming yourself." The Goddess shrugged. "We told you. Spend time with her, we'll think about taking that thing off then. Adios, Christopher." She said. "Come, children of the Castle, we have a playroom to get to." And with that, she and the other children vanished.

Chrestomanci turned to face Conrad. "Is she your daughter or something?" he demanded.

"Me and Fay." Conrad replied. "I'm _kidding._" he added quickly, seeing the look on his best friends face.

"So it took five teenagers and Conrad to make you come to your senses, did it?" Millie demanded of Chrestomanci.

"And that's my cue to leave. Good luck mate." Conrad smirked and then he was off.

Chrestomanci really didn't like that man right now.

**I just love the way Kitty talks to Christopher, don't you? Review, please and thank you. **


	14. Love

**Right, before this chapter begins, it's time for my longest author's note ever.**

**Issue 1: Conrad. Yeah, I know his personality is completely out of character, but that's what happens when a Harry Potter fan decides to bring in one of the character's best friend who is also aforementioned character's son's godfather. So personalities incorporated mixed and you got the new and improved Conrad Tesdinic. Yeah, right. Anyway, I can get away with that on the basis of it being at least twenty years since we first met him in 'Conrad's Fate', and you know what Chrestomanci Castle does to people.**

**Issue two: The story in general. Right, before I start on this, there is something you must know about me. I improvise. This is a bad thing. I am excellent (and very immodest about it, too) at writing short stories, but when it gets longer than about three thousand words I either start to lose interest, or, as mentioned above, improvise. What this means: I **_**NEVER **_**write a story with a set plotline, and this is a bad thing to do. What I tend to do is, again, improvise, but when I do this I tend to dig myself into a deep plot hole with no way out. DON'T follow my example. It'll end in disaster.**

**Issue three: The watch thing. No, Conrad, Cat and Kitty did not think it through, simply because I didn't. Oh, and another thing, I'd like to take this opportunity to point out that in 'The Sage of Theare' (or whatever it was called) Christopher was sick with the flu, and still could do magic, unlike when he's tied down with silver.**

**And that's the end of monster A/N. If you've read through all of that and **_**still **_**want to read this chapter and laugh as I failingly try to sort out the plot holes, I both congratulate you and offer the number of the nearest psychiatrist.**

**Chapter 14**

12 hours. That's how long Christopher Chant had been without magic, and he was starting to go slightly nuts. So, you can imagine the enchanter's relief when Cat knocked on the door of his study just before lunchtime and told him that he would soon be free of the dreaded silver. Cat's reason's for this weren't exactly noble…he wanted to shirk responsibility, but Chrestomanci did not have a problem with this at all.

"But before I take it off, you have to promise two things. First, you aren't to punish Kitty…or me, for that matter." Cat said. "We were trying to help…sort of."

Chrestomanci nodded "Alright. Anything else?" This was said with more than a little sarcasm.

"Yeah…you have to keep spending time with Millie, or Kitty'll kill not only you, but me, and that wouldn't be too good."

"I was planning too. Now…" Chrestomanci held out his arm. The silver watch dropped to the floor. "That's better." Chrestomanci sighed triumphantly.

"Chrestomanci?"

"Yes, Cat?"

"Kitty…the Goddess…you aren't going to send her back, are you?" Cat asked quietly, looking down at his feet.

Chrestomanci surveyed him for a moment before deciding on "I'll do what I have to" and leaving the room.

----

"Are you alright, Eric?" Conrad asked later that day, slightly surprised to see Cat walking alone – something he hadn't seen since he'd arrived at the Castle.

"Yeah... yeah I'm fine." Cat replied.

Conrad said, "Where are the others?"

"I dunno. Playroom, I guess. Conrad, what do you know about Series ten?"

"Why?" Conrad replied.

"Well, would Chr…istopher have to send the Goddess back if he found her, or could he, I dunno, let her stay in the Castle?"

"Why?" Conrad wanted to know again.

"It doesn't matter." Cat mumbled. "I'd better be getting back to the playroom."

He turned and started walking back in that general direction.

"Eric, Kitty will be fine." He thought he heard that being called, but when he looked around Conrad was already gone.

-----------

An hour or two later, the Goddess and Cat were both called to Chrestomanci's office. They were of course followed by Janet, Julia and Rodger.

"Come in." Chrestomanci's voice came through the door, and then as the five children did so, he said "Sit down."

Neither he nor his wife (who was there, and Cat silently thanked Chrestomanci for this) looked surprised to see the other three children

"Kitty?" Chrestomanci said. "Do you, perhaps, know why you're here?"

The Goddess did not respond, instead continued to look at her feet.

"No?" Chrestomanci asked. "Well, Kitty, the reason you're here is because of what you said to me yesterday…"

Rodger couldn't help himself "She was right, Dad, you _were _acting like a five year old…"

Millie coughed, but it sounded oddly like a disguised laugh.

"Not that, thank you Rodger." Chrestomanci replied, looking rather irritated.

"Are you going to send me back?" The Goddess sighed, looking up.

Chrestomanci looked at her, frowning slightly. "Well, we agreed to be your legal guardians, Kitty, on the pretence that you had nowhere else to go…"

"I didn't!" The Goddess exclaimed passionately. "Just ask Cat, ask Janet how miserable I was! Ask Millie, she knows first hand! You let _her_ stay!"

"Wait, what?" Rodger and Julia both demanded at once, looking from their father to their mother, both of whom avoided their eyes.

The Goddess realised her mistake and clammed up again, staring at the floor.

Cat and Janet looked at each other, and then at Rodger and Julia. All four children looked confused.

"Let me finish." Chrestomanci said, in his usual way smoothing over the parts of the conversation he didn't like as if they never happened. "As of a few weeks ago, that pretence became factual. You, Kitty, are far too old to be the Goddess now, and you are welcome to stay here as long as you like, as long as you take your watch back." And he picked up the silver watch from the desk and dropped it onto her lap. "You can four can leave now," he added to Cat, Rodger, Julia and Janet. "I would like a moment with Kitty."

The Chant children did not like this idea. They were all bursting with questions about the Goddess' – or as we can legally call her now, Kitty's – outburst, especially Rodger and Julia. But, before they had the chance to question anyone, they were suddenly out in the corridor.

"Your mum…?" Janet said to Rodger after a moment of silence.

Rodger laughed. "Of course not. Come on; let's get back to the playroom. Cat?" He added this last bit as he saw that only three children were heading towards the playroom.

"I…I'm gonna wait for Kitty." Cat replied.

Rodger shrugged. "Suit yourself." He replied and the other three Chants went off.

Cat leaned against the door to the study just in time to hear Kitty crying and saying "I'm sorry, Millie, really I am, I didn't mean to tell, but…"

"It's alright, my love, you didn't mean to." Millie was replying. "Tell her, Christopher…"

Cat could see the scene in his minds eye, Kitty crying on the chair, Millie probably hugging her, and Chrestomanci feeling rather intimidated and uncomfortable with the whole situation still behind his desk. But what Millie was saying…

"You can come in, Cat."

Cat nervously opened the door, but was pleased to see Chrestomanci did not look angry at him for listening in the slightest. On the contrary, he looked rather pleased for the distraction.

"Kitty, what did he do to you?" Cat asked her jokingly.

"Oh, it's terrible, Cat, he's a right old bully." Kitty laughed tearfully.

"Me? You'll not meet a nicer man anywhere." Chrestomanci replied.

"I can list a few, starting with Amos Tesdinic." Conrad's voice came from the door.

"Oh, come now, Conrad, that's not fair." Chrestomanci sounded injured. "Do I look like a pear to you?"

Kitty and Cat laughed, even though they had no idea what he was on about.

Millie outright, and then replied "More like a strawberry, love." indicating his bright scarlet suit.

Chrestomanci looked offended. "Did you want something, Conrad?"

"I come bearing good news." Conrad replied. "But I'll come back later." He added, glancing at Cat and Kitty before heading off again.

"That man lives to insult me, I swear." Chrestomanci commented lightly.

Cat looked at Millie. "Were you really the Goddess?" he asked.

Millie glanced at her husband, and then back at Cat. "Yes." She replied simply. "Before Christopher came along and kidnapped me."

Chrestomanci sighed. "She lies, Cat. This lady stole one of my lives just to be with me."

"Note how it's his life and not hers." Kitty laughed.

"Millie only has one." Cat pointed out.

"The thing is, Kitty" Millie sighed. "Nine-lived enchanters are so full of themselves that a simple normal person isn't good enough for them. That's why they either fall in love with Goddesses from Series Ten or stay single."

Cat blushed and looked away pointedly.

"See what I mean?" Millie finished. "Now, the other children will be waiting for you. You'd best get going."

Cat and Kitty both nodded and left, but not before hearing Chrestomanci say "I am _not _full of myself!"

----

That night, Kitty took a little longer than usual to tidy up her share of the mess in the playroom, and Cat stayed behind to help. The other children went off to bed, Janet and Julia grinning at each other knowingly and Rodger complaining about them giggling all the way up the hall.

"Thanks." Kitty said when they were finally done.

"No problem." Cat replied.

There was silence for a minute, then, as they passed the door to Kitty's room, she turned around and grinned. "Love you too, Cat. Goodnight." And before he had a chance to respond, she slipped inside and shut the door.

Cat stared. Did she just…

"Goodnight." He replied, before heading up to his own room.


	15. Leaving

**A sad fact…poor Smart hasn't read 'The Pinhoe Egg'. So, y'know, just forget it ever happened for the purpose of this story.**

**Chapter 15**

"Cat! Cat, come to the mirror!" Julia called.

"What? And why are you in Janet's room?" Cat asked irritably.

"I wanted to talk to my dear cousin. Something wrong with that?" Julia replied.

"No. Can I go to sleep now?" Cat muttered.

"No." Janet replied, appearing beside Julia. "We want to ask you something!"

"What?"

"Did you and Kitty kiss?" Julia giggled.

Cat's image disappeared.

Julia and Janet both burst into laughter.

---------

The next morning,(Wednesday) in Michael's lesson, Cat was wishing beyond belief that Julia and Janet would stop looking at him and giggling.

Michael didn't look too happy about it either. "Is there something funny?" he snapped.

"No, Michael" Julia replied, biting her lip.

"Good. Then you won't mind translating that passage." Michael replied.

"Um…okay…jeune amour...that means…err…"

"It means young love." Kitty supplied helpfully.

That was too much for the young female Chants, who burst into helpless _rire _(laughter).

Michael frowned. "If you're _quite_ finished." he stated.

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry Mr Saunders." Janet replied.

"What the hell is with you two today?" Rodger demanded.

"Nothing." Both girls replied sweetly.

Michael said, "Continue please."

"Premier baiser…first kiss." Julia continued.

Both girls tried their best not to laugh. They failed.

Cat said, "What exactly is it that you're finding funny?"

Janet replied. "I swear, it won't happen again."

Michael sighed. "Alright, you lot, into groups. Rodger, go with your sister and Janet. Kitty and Cat-"

Julia and Janet couldn't help themselves.

"Will you two shut up?" Kitty asked, exasperated.

The lesson went on like this right up until it was time for magic and Michael gave them their pocket money early.

Cat and Kitty both headed up to Chrestomanci's study, with similar thoughts.

_Girls from 12 are seriously weird_

-----------

"Hello, Cat, Kitty." Chrestomanci said, looking around as they opened the door without knocking.

"Hi." Kitty replied. "Hey Conrad. What were you two up to? Did you forget the time? That's really not very appropriate. Your wife is pregnant, Christopher."

"Kitty, you just permanently disturbed me." Cat said.

Kitty laughed.

"Actually, young Katherine, I was here to tell Christopher that I'd be leaving soon." Conrad replied, grinning.

"What do you mean _leaving_? Are you kidding? Do you know how boring it'll be around here with a bunch of Chants?" Kitty demanded.

"I resent that." Cat and Chrestomanci replied simultaneously.

Conrad shrugged. "Apologies, Kitty, but I've done what I was here to do."

"What?" Cat asked. "You got what's going on?"

Conrad replied "Well…no. But we've caught that witch. She's being retained for questioning, and children are reappearing back in their homes in Seven. So…"

"You can't leave me with Christopher! I'll die!" Kitty moaned.

Chrestomanci said, "And that's gratitude for you."

Conrad just shook his head. "It was a bad idea to tell her your first name, Chrissie" And with that he left the room.

Chrestomanci shuddered. He hated that nickname.

-----------

"What do you mean, _leaving_?" Rodger demanded as Kitty and Cat told the other children what had happened later that day. "He can't _leave!"_

"Just telling it like it is, Rodger." Kitty replied.

"It's too easy." Cat said distractedly. "Far too easy. They couldn't have solved it just like that. There's got to be something more…"

"Typical boy. Always on the negative." Janet commented, but she had to agree. "At least we won't be worried for the next Chant's safety."

"Oh God…he's leaving me here with six and a half Chants…" Kitty muttered.

"Quit that!" The other four children demanded.

------

In the main lounge…

Later that day…

"Don't fricking leave me here with them…" Kitty begged Conrad.

Conrad snorted. "You've got it good, Kitty. I had to share a room with Christopher for weeks."

"Oh you poor thing!"

"I _am _standing here, you know." Chrestomanci stated.

"Sorry, Christopher." Kitty and Conrad replied simultaneously.

"Bye, Conrad." Rodger said moodily.

"Relax, Rodger, I'll be back in a few months to meet the baby." Conrad replied. "And good luck."

"With what?"

Conrad glanced at Janet.

Rodger went red.

Then the final goodbyes were said and Conrad was gone.

"So what do we do now?" Kitty asked.

"Wanna go down to the village?" Cat asked her. "If that's alright with you." he added to Chrestomanci and Millie.

"Well…" Chrestomanci started.

"That will be perfectly fine, my loves. _Won't _it Christopher?" Millie said.

Chrestomanci shrugged.

"I'll come too." Rodger added.

"No you won't, Rodger." Julia said firmly.

"But…"

"Come on, Rodger." Janet grabbed his arm and the three children, Chrestomanci and Millie left.

-----

"Why can't we go?" Rodger demanded.

"Did I say that?" Janet replied.

"Uh…yeah?"

"Come on."

"We aren't really going to follow them?" Julia asked.

"Of course we are." Janet replied, smirking.

**Review?**


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